Royal Retreats: India’s Hidden Palaces & Havelis

India's monarchical past is as expansive as her landscape. As much as travel-cultural palaces such as postcard-fair Taj Lake Palace, Mysore Palace, or Umaid Bhawan are the showstoppers of tourists, in India's off-beaten-path palaces and havelis lurks a lesser-explored charm — those of backwater towns, painstakingly restored by royal families, and brimming with yesterday's stories.

These off-the-beaten-path jewels aren't just providing you with a ceiling over your head — they are giving you an experience. Imagine candle-dinner nights in marble courtyards, family portraits adorning frescoed walls, eccentric safaris with royal entourage, and breakfast where kings used to break it.